totally new at this

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camrayj

camrayj

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Hi y'all! My husband just started with six chicks last week. We did our research first, but it stills feels like everything is new to us.
Any and all help is appreciated!
 
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Welcome to BYC! Please make yourself at home and we are here to help.

No matter how much research you do, you can never feel prepared for raising chicks until you've actually done it. Congrats on them though!
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What breeds did you get?

Have you checked out our learning center yet? Tons of helpful info there on raising chicks.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/atype/1/Learning_Center
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/raising-chicks-frequently-asked-questions-and-answers
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/...ks-the-first-60-days-of-raising-baby-chickens

Good luck to you and feel free to ask questions.
 
Thank you! We got bantams, golden sex link and americaunas.
We are having a bit of trouble with the smallest americauna. She was much less active than the others.
She's getting a bit better but her vent looks sore and I just noticed a couple other chicks pecking at it. Anything I can do to stop it?
She's also incredibly loud. She peeps non stop, sleeping, eating, no matter what. Normal for some chicks or is something else going on?
 
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Do you have the chicks in a brooder with a heat lamp? The small one may need a higher temperature. Chicks that peep a lot are usually unhappy, too hot or too cold, or hurting from something. When using a heat lamp, it shouldn't cover the entire brooder. The opposite end should be a bit cooler so chicks can decide where to be that is comfortable for them.

Partition off the brooder to give her some safe spot to be with her own water and feed, to prevent them from causing major damage or even killing her with the vent pecking. When chicks all join in they can escalate to cannibalism.
 
Does the little chick quiet down if you hold her? She may have had a rougher hatch than the others, she may be smaller because she was newly hatched and they may have hatched a day or two before. If they were shipped maybe they knocked her around in travel and hurt her.

She may do better in her own box with heat, a stuffed toy to cuddle with and maybe a mirror so she thinks another chick is with her. She just sounds very unhappy. If you can figure out what she needs, she may do a full turnaround.
 
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camrayj said:
Thank you! We got bantams, golden sex link and americaunas.
We are having a bit of trouble with the smallest americauna. She was much less active than the others.
She's getting a bit better but her vent looks sore and I just noticed a couple other chicks pecking at it. Anything I can do to stop it?
She's also incredibly loud. She peeps non stop, sleeping, eating, no matter what. Normal for some chicks or is something else going on?
Click to expand...

Sounds like you might have pasty butt. Get a warm washcloth and wash her vent. Then apply coconut oil or vaseline to it. If the other chicks continue to peck at her then you might have to isolate her until her vent area heals. If she isn't drinking then you MUST dip her beak in the water at least three times each hour until she learns how. Water and warmth are the best medicine for her right now. I had a chick once who had the exact same issue.
 
She peeps very loudly, even when we take her out.
I do have a lamp only on one end, and she does seem to move back and forth.she cuddles with the other chicks and seems comfortable but she still is always chirping. Are some chicks more vocal than others?

I've been cleaning off her butt a few times a day. But it seems to keep happening.

At first we had to feed her moistened food, but now she's eating with the rest of them. And she is drinking as well

I also see one of the other chicks peck a little at her feathers. Doesn't seem to be disturbing her, and I've seen a few of them do it to each other. Is this normal chick behavior or are they being bullies?
 
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camrayj said:
She peeps very loudly, even when we take her out.
I do have a lamp only on one end, and she does seem to move back and forth.she cuddles with the other chicks and seems comfortable but she still is always chirping. Are some chicks more vocal than others?

I've been cleaning off her butt a few times a day. But it seems to keep happening.

At first we had to feed her moistened food, but now she's eating with the rest of them. And she is drinking as well

I also see one of the other chicks peck a little at her feathers. Doesn't seem to be disturbing her, and I've seen a few of them do it to each other. Is this normal chick behavior or are they being bullies?
Click to expand...

My chick was extremely loud as well. Some chicks can be more vocal but your chick is probably stressed like mine was. And then the other chicks probably just see something that makes them want to peck at her. In what way though are they pecking her? Aggressively or just curiously?
 
At first it was just a curious thing but they kept going at her vent so I ended up separating her. I put another small chick in with her that I didn't see pecking her, so she wouldn't be lonely.
My husband thinks I'm going crazy haha but I am just worried about her
 
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